The shortest answer is no. The train system is so good that, as long as you’re near the station, you have access to pretty much everything.
You’ll be just fine.
The first couple of times you might be surprised that it involves a little bit of planning and patience.
Everyone worries about getting lost on the trains but its actually not a tricky bit as, because the trains are so reliable and frequent… you get on the wrong one? You just get off and go back.
The train times are so reliable that you can also look at the time your train is meant to arrive on Jorudan app or site (I also often find google maps to be equally as helpful) and then you don’t need to count stations all the time. ( I have many Japanese friends who sleep on the trains and just set a phone alarm for 8;43AM, as that is when they know their train will be pulling into their station.)
Ways to avoid mixups or unnecessary stress?
– Plan trips ahead of time. I use Jorudan to plan my train travel and then I use google maps from there. I screenshot the journey if I think I won’t remember.
– Use the “access” page of where you are headed, like your hotel, restaurant , tourist attraction etc. This will help you find the correct train exit ( there can often be so many exits that if you get the wrong one you can be on the wrong side of the highway or river or …just really far away from where you need to be).
– Be prepared for everything to take a bit longer if you need an elevator. Major stations and bullet train stations have elevators but, while there may be 3-4 escalators on each platform, there will be one elevator – you’ll need to locate it, wait for your turn etc.
Metro stations do not always have elevators. This is why light strollers are what I recommend when I’m advising friends on what to pack when travelling in Japan with kids.
-Ask yourself while planning : Will walking actually be quicker? ( not all subway stations have elevators so, if you have a stroller, walking may be easier – especially if you have a sleeping baby with you.) For more information on why strollers are a good idea and what kind of strollers are best, see my post here. Walking is a great way to see the city and I like finding cool things on our own while we walk.
-Unless you want the full squishy experience, avoid the big stations during peak hour. I would avoid trains between 7am – 9:30am. The evenings aren’t so bad as everyone’s travel home time is much more staggered. I would avoid bullet trains heading towards major cities on a Sunday afternoon/evening too after 4pm ( unless you have reserved seats in the reserved carriages.)
When you have suitcases on the big trips (as in not the day to day travel…just the “set your self up in new accommodation” travel…)
Don’t make that trip trickier than it needs to be.
Did you know that it is possible to courier suitcases between hotels and just travel with hand luggage? More information here.
Or, if you prefer, there is room at the back of the bullet train carriages. More information here.
MY TIP: Don’t be scared to use a taxi from your bullet train station ( or closest major station). I don’t find taxis to be crazy expensive in Japan , as long as the trip is less than 10 minutes. Use google maps to plan and see if a taxi is feasible. It will even give you a rough price on google maps too – so you’ll know what to expect. Just make your life a bit easier – you’ll be tired so go with door to door service while you have all your stuff with you. More information on taxis in Japan here.
